Responsibility, responsibility, responsibility

Hereford

"Marks for trying." The platitude of the 'all must have prizes' culture. Fraser, how far will your credulousness stretch with regards to Cameron and Osborne.

Andrew Forbes

That old dame Prudence served Gordon incredibly well, long after he'd ditched her.

If Cameron can make the word "Responsibility" belong to the Tories, then "irresponsibility" by default sticks to Labour. It's quite clever.

JR

Fraser - I agree responsibility is very weak. Oh and if they think the Office for Budget Responsibility is a good idea policy wise or presentationally I think the whole country is in real trouble.

But looking at the speech more widely today I think there are other ways this could go and where Cameroon can be genuinely radical. In response to Peter's blog entry on the speech (previous to yours) I've set a quite detailed scenario for putting really clear ground between them and Labour on welfare reform (and doing the right thing in my opinion) - it would cost a bit but given the propsect of mass unemployment I think it could be powerful politically.

Tom Freeman

I'm not sure that a hexasyllable is really the stuff of political sloganising.

Summer

Well, we could certainly do with a little bit more:-

Personal social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Economic responsibility
Media responsibility

Recent research showed that the 'younger generations' know a lot about their rights, and very little about their responsibilites.

And Trevor Phillips and the Black Police Association and Muslim Concil of GB, shout a lot more about their rights than their social responsibility. The latter will bring benefits for all, the former is a another step on the road to disaster for all.

Responsibility is a better word for now, empowerment can come when we mend our democracy.

TrevorsDen

I cannot believe the ways that you 'useless idiots' continue to find to belittle Cameron. What he is saying seems eminently sensible, but you witter on like an old washerwoman..
Your mate Hoskins is as bad ... quivering at the knees saying that all pales into insignificance compared to what Brown might say.

The harsh fact is that Tories are in opposition and can only propose alternatives. Brown is in government and can ruin all our 'tomorrows' to save his 'today'.

And he will - so get of your arse and start to cheer-lead for the tendency which you profess to support.

Hereford

If we want to go all linguistic, how about 'Human Priveliges' rather than 'Human Rights'. Tie that in with responsibility. You have to demonstrate that you take responsibility if you want to maintain your Human Priveliges...

Punk Economist

The R-word isn't gimmicky. It's priggish.

I should think the corporate social responsibility dept in the majority of firms is (possibly after IT) the most hated by the people who actually do the work.

TrevorsDen

Mr Nelson

A snippet from the Telegraph ...
"The Government’s response to the Calman Commission, the body set up by Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems to consider Scotland’s constitutional future, will include moves to increase “financial responsibility and financial autonomy”. "

err ... thats the government talking about RESPONSIBILITY. Well - lets all give them marks for trying.

Andrew Forbes

It's a sad state of affairs, though, when the opposition can use the word "responsibility" as a means of differentiating it from the government. The more I think about that, the more frightened I become.

One would have hoped responsibility was a given for anyone in charge of a nation.

mac

So, our 'man with a plan' has a "Plan for a Responsible Economy". With a nod towards Tom Freeman earlier, punchy it ain't.

And anyway, it's an efficient or an effective or an expanding economy I'd like to see, not a slogan that still seems determinedly blue Labour in tone.

Nick Kaplan

“This is a shame because it serves to camouflage, rather than bring out, the innovative and radical ideas in Cameron’s thinking.”

Fraser the only reason Cameron has gotten away with having an education and welfare policy more right-wing then anything even Thatcher or Howard considered is precisely because it’s so well camouflaged that the BBC haven’t got their horrible leftist claws into it yet.

Moreover surely personal responsibility is a most conservative or concepts. I just wish Politicians would say more than just businessmen have a responsibility; so to do all citizens. People need to be responsible for their own lives and stop waiting for others and the state to bail them out! People (including bankers) need to take responsibility for their own decisions and should not expect the tax payer to pick up the pieces when risks don’t pay off. Criminals need to take responsibility for their actions and be punished accordingly. Ministers need to take responsibility for their own conduct and not come back after having to resign twice, on both occasions with significant redundancy payments!

It’s empowerment that sounds like the leftist term, I can imagine the slogan now “Empowerment through redistribution” it would be a bit like that Nazi slogan “Strength through Joy.”

Hereford; I completely agree most of the provisions in our human rights act are not right at all, they are all privileges and we should be able to withdraw them for the lazy and feckless. The sad truth is the actual rights like the right to free speech and property are all followed by several long paragraphs and get out clauses explaining why it is entirely up to the state when such rights may be withheld! How ghastly!

Tiberius

I suppose Cameron could decide to go down the road that he is regularly accused of taking - spin and no substance. But he uses a word which doesn't sound like spin, is purely descriptive, and some still aren't happy.

The English for responsibility is, er, responsibility. It's a laudable characteristic to try and push on to a nation which has been weaned off it by welfarism and sloth.

I hope Cameron can succeed in his aim.

strapworld

trevorsDen...calm down dear, you are in danger of high blood pressure! and I like you!

Cameron is lightweight. Just accept that. Would you follow him in a battle? Fraser is right. Responsibility can be turned around to the irresponsibility of the Conservatives, in promoting the EU for example, never leave yourself hostage to fortune.

Well written Mr Nelson.

Rhoda Klapp

Personal reasponsibility is the essence of conservatism. The corporate and fiscal versions are indeed things we ought to expect from any who aspire to government. Personal responsibility has been frequently missing from the output of the tories. Michael Howard had a go once, but it wasn't to last. The corollary of personal responsibility is small government. I haven't heard the tories talk that up either.

This could be a start in the right direction, but I won't be holding my breath.

J H Holloway

I disagree. If he can make it stick, Labour can be attacked as having indulged in 'irresponsible spending, taxing, borrowing, deployment of troops' etc.

Also painting the Tories as the 'responsible' party, would be a great boon in an age where spin and Gordo's ridiculous stunt-driven governance are still much in evidence.

Nicholas

Punk economist appears to be a labour troll. Is he someone prominent in economics on the BBC? The current pair I think of look both like trolls and punks.

Susan Hill

It`s feeble and most people under 40 have no idea what the word means but I suppose Responsibility is a teeny tiny bit of a nano-improvement on the dreaded 'sustainability.'

oldtimer

In his speech he referred to the broken economy (cf broken society). This is an accurate description as we are finding out. It will be difficult to mend.

I read the speech as one which sets out the framework within which Grayling and Osborne will set out the actions they believe should now be taken by government.

The responsibility test will be whether they increase the debt levels, which are a big part of the problem we are all in, or whether they are funded by belt tightening elsewhere.

Time will tell.

JONNY

Oh I don't know...
is it that awful?

Fergus Pickering

Responsibility seems a perfectly good word to me. And if the young don't use it then to hell with them. The Tories will get in on older people's votes - older people who know about responsibility. Don't wory, Frser, you'll understand when you're a bit older yourself.

Athesius the Facilitator

The problem is with you Fraser- old chap- is that you try to psychoanalyse every word or phrase. You are living in that Newspapermans Westminster bubble. Responsible. Its just a word for goodness sake.

Pete, Scotland

There is only one word I can think of to describe Cameron and Osborne at the moment.

Windbags!

Susan Hill

Fergus Pickering. I agree, responsibilty IS a perfectly good word but it is feeble when Cameron uses it as some sort of rallying cry to voters. He has no chance of getting in if he does not appeal the the 18-40 voters. Mind, he is only a child himself.